Nuts, associated with a Western diet, result in an improvement “of about 16% in sperm count, 4% in their vitality, 6% in their mobility, and 1% in their morphology”.
While the reproductive capacities of French men are declining, a new study has just shown that eating walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts can significantly improve sperm quality.
According to the latest Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin from the Public Health France agency, male reproductive health in France is undergoing an overall deterioration, a priori favored by early exposure to endocrine disruptors. Between 1989 and 2005, a significant and continuous 32.2% drop in sperm concentration was observed. For a 35-year-old man, the average concentration fell from 73.6 million sperm / ml in 1989 to 49.9 million / ml in 2005, a decrease of about 1.9%, (1.4 million sperm) per year.
A cohort of 98 “healthy” men
Diet has long been established to influence reproductive capacity in both men and women. However, “the existing dietary recommendations focus mainly on the reproductive health of women, and less on men,” lament researchers from Rovira i Virgili University in Reus, Spain. In their new study, these scientists therefore decided to analyze a cohort of 98 “healthy” men.
Aged 18 to 35, the participants were divided into two groups. For 14 weeks, the former followed a classic Western diet, without nuts “; ditto for the latter, but” supplemented with 60 grams per day of a mixture of almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts. ” blood and semen were collected at the start and end of the experiment, resulting in 14 weeks of semen being much better for the latter.
Nut consumption added to a Western-style diet
The researchers concluded to an improvement “of approximately 16% in the number of sperm, of 4% in their vitality, of 6% in their mobility, and of 1% in their morphology”. “We can’t say this based on the results of this study alone. But research is mounting evidence that changes to a healthier life, such as eating a balanced diet, could help with conception, ”says study lead author Albert Salas-Huetos.
The researchers specify that among the nuts tested, nuts played a larger role. “Because nuts contain a considerable amount of several nutrients that are involved in male fertility, we believe that consuming nuts added to a Western-style diet would improve the quality and functionality of sperm,” the trial concludes.
In addition, the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts also decreases the risk of having a serious cardiovascular problem, such as a myocardial infarction or a cerebrovascular accident (CVA).
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